April jobs report may point to US labor market's resilience

Month after month, the nation’s job market has stood its ground against howling headwinds — rising interest rates, chronic inflation, major bank failures and economic uncertainties across the world. Hiring has gradually slowed, along with pay growth and job openings. Yet by historical standards, the labor market has remained surprisingly strong, with an unemployment rate still hovering near half-century lows. When the Labor Department issues the April jobs report Friday morning, it’s expected to show that the trend has continued: Forecasters have predicted that employers added 182,000 jobs last month. That would be a respectable gain that would show that many employers still need to fill jobs.